Rim attaching means



July 19,19 9- E. POTTER ETAL RIM ATTACHING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 30, 1945 FIG.2.

FIG.2A

FIG.3-

1N1 'E.\ IURS ELBERT L. POTTER y ELMER D.SWENSON Fffff/I FIG.4.

ATTORNEYS July 19, 1949.

Filed July 30, 1945 FIG.6.

FIGJG.

E. POTTER ET'AL RIM ATTACHING MEANS FIG.8.

FIG.I7.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS ELBERT L.POTTER By \ELMER uswsusou ATTORNEYS July 19, 1949. E. L. POTTER ET AL RIM ATTACHING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed July 50, 1945 A n F FIG-l8.

FIGJO.

' INVENTORS ELBERT LPOTTER By ELMER oswemsou mw 'ATTORNEYS Patented July 19, 1949 2,476,766 RIM ATTACHING MEANS Elbert L. Potter and Elm er D. Swenson, Davenport, Iowa, assignors, by mesne assignments, to

Kelsey-Hayes Wheele'Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application July 30, 1945, Serial No. 607,780

4 Claims. (01. 301-11) The invention relates to means for attaching tire holding rim to wheel bodies and of that type permitting of attachment in difierent offset positions.

It is the object of construction formed of sheet metal which has a high degree of rigidity with comparatively light weight.

It is a further object to obtain a construction which is braced in three planes perpendicular to each other thereby securing maximum rigidity against stresses in all directions.

It is a further object to obtain a construction in which the sheet metal blanks are formed by bending operations and without the necessity of drawing or stretchingthe metal.

Still further it is an object to obtain a construction which can be manufactured at low cost. With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross section through the wheel rim and the attachment means therefor;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the rim and attachment means;

Fig. 2A is an enlarged section on line ZA-ZA,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which one member means is formed;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the member formed from the blank; 5 Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5-5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a blank from which is formed another member of the attachment means; I

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the member formed from the blank of Fig. 6;.

F 8 is a cross section on line 8-8, Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified construction of attachment means secured to a wheel body;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of a blank for forming one of the members of the structure in Figs. 9 and 10;

Fig. 12 is a side formed from Fig. 11; v

Fig. 13 is a cross section on line l3|3, Fig. 12;

Fig. 14 is a side elevation of another member forming the structure of Figs. 9 and 10;

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the members shown in Figs. 12 and 14 in assembled relation to each other but unattached to the rim;

elevation of the member the invention to obtain a of the attachment Fig. 16 is a plan view of a blank for forming a member of another modified construction;

Fig. 1'7 is a side elevation of the member formed of Fig. 16;

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 9 with the rim secured in offset relation to the wheel body.

Attachment means for vehicle Wheel rims to the wheel body are subjected to stresses in all directions. Thus, there is, first, radial stress; second, torque stress in the plane of rotation; and, third, axial stress. These stresses which are in planes perpendicular to each other are variously combined and, consequently, the at? tachment structure must be sufficiently rigid to withstand all of these combinations. A structure formed from sheet metal can be readily fashioned by bending to extend in two planes perpendicular to each other but it is more difficult to extend it into a third plane perpendicular to the other two without drawing or stretching the metal. In our improved structure this is accomplished by the combination of two separately fashioned sheet metal blanks which in assembled relation brace the structure in allthree planes.

In detail and as shown in Fig. 1, I0 is the tire rim which is shown of the type having a drop center ll, bead seats 12 and flanges l3. The rim attachment means comprises two members l4 and I 5 which are respectively fashioned as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, 7, 8. The sheet metal blank l6 shown in Fig. 6.is of substantially oblong I with extensions II at opposite ends thereof which are of less width than the portion 16. There is also an oblong aperture l8 centrally through the blank. The portion 1 6 is then bent into a channel or U-shaped form and the portion I! turned oppositely outward and fashioned to conform substantially to the arc of the inner face of the drop center portion H. The blank shownin Fig. 3 is of T form having a stem portion l9. and a head portion 20. The stem portion is bent downward perpendicular tothe plane of the portion 2.0, is return bent and again bent in the plane of the portion ll]v to extend oppositely therefrom for an equal length. It is then bent to forma shoulder 2| and an outwardly and upwardlybent portion 22 terminating in a flange 23 which contacts with the underside of the beaded portion l2 of the rim. Th head portion 20 of the blank is bent into an arc corresponding to that of the portion I1 of the member l5. The member l4 thus formed has an aperture 24 bored or punched through the adjacent plies of the return-bent portion 25. This member is then assembled with rectangular form but is provided .against the disc spaced from the 3 the member l5 by inserting the portion 25 through the slot l8 and with the portion 20 overlying the portions 11. The assembled structure is then placed beneath the rim in the proper position, the flange 23 is secured by a rivet 26 to the bead seat l2 and the portions 20 and I! are secured to the drop center H :by rivets '2]. This brings the shoulder 21 in alignment with therighthanrl side of the member I5 (Fig. 1) and the outer end of the portion 20 in alignment with the lefthand side of the member l5. To secure the rim to the wheel body, such as a disc 28, a bolt 29 is inserted through the aperture-2d andan aligned aperture in the disc with'the head 30 of the bolt against the portion ZE-and witha clamping nut 3i engaging the threaded portion of the bolt on the opposite side of thedisc. The disc may be placed either to theleft or the right or the assembly by merely reversing the direction in which the bolt 29 is inserted through the aperiture 24. As shown in full lines, Fig. 1, the disc is to be left and is in thecentral plane of the rim. On the other hand, when it is placed to the right it will be offset to a'distance equal to the axial dimension of the member l5. In either position both members 14 and are clamped as the portion 25 constitutes a ;tie connection therebetween. This portion 25 also constitutes a brace between the opposite sides ofthe channel or U -shapedpor.tion of the memher 15 which takes care of all torque stresses. .On the otherihand, axial stresses are absorbed by the axially extending portions of the members l4 and i5 and radial stresses by the radially extending portions thereof. The rivets .26 and 21 securely attach the assembly to the rim.

With the modified construction shown in Fig. 9, a member 15a is similar to the member [5 but,

as in Fig. ll, has portions 32 extending oppositely outward from .the ends of the portion l6 and portions I]. These extensions 32 have their outer ,end portions bent to form flanges 33 for attachment to the bead seat .12 of the rim, while the flanges formed of the portion .H are-securedtothe drop centerof the rim as previously described. The member Ma. is formed with a return bent portion 25a. and with oppositely extending portions 34 atitsupper end,

being in this respectsimilar to .the member l4. Howeven-the flangeson the headpcrtion oi the blank. Fig. 3, are omitted and also the portion which .is attached .to the beadseat. Thus, the member Ma is not directly attached to the .rim but is clampedagainst the .wheel disc-in thesame manner as the member I. One advantage of this is that it can float into alignment with the member 1.5a requiring less exactness inits-manufacture.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. Means -for attaching arim to a wheel body comprising an assembly .of two elements, one or said elements being of channel form in crosssection. having flanges extending laterally from Ethe sides of the channel for attaching .it to "the rim with the channel-extending transversely of the rim, the other element being of generally fr-shaped .iorm in cross-section and having the stem extending within and transversely of the channel and provided with a bolt aperture ior attachment to the wheel body and the head ex- 70 2394-256 -for attaching it to extending transversely of the rim,

section and having the stem extending within and transversely of the channel and into the aperture in the base of the channel, the stem being provided with a bolt aperture for attachment to the Wheel body, the other element also having the head extending longitudinally of the channel with one end substantially .flush with the corresponding channel end to bear therewith against the wheel body.

3. Means for attaching a rim to a wheel body comprising an assembly of two .elements,one of said elements being .of channel form in cross section having flanges extending laterally from the sides of the channel for attaching itto the rim with the channel extendin transversely of the rim, the other element-being of generally T-shaped form in crosssection and having the stem extending within and transversely of the channel and provided with a :bolt aperture for attachment to the wheel body and the head extending longitudinally of the channel with its ends substantially flush with the channel ends to bear therewith against the wheel body when located at either end of the channel and means for locking the stemto the leased the channel.

4. Means for attaching arimtoa wheel body comprising an assembly of two elements, one of said elements being of channel form and having the base of the channel .provided with an aperture and also having fiangesextending laterally from the sides of the channel for attaching it to the rim with the channel extending transversely of the rim, the other element being of generally T-shapd form in cross-section and having the stem extending within and transversely of the channel and into the aperture in the base of the channel, the stem being provided with a bolt aperture for attachment to .a wheel body, said other element also having its head extending longitudinally of the channel with-shoulders substantially'in the planes of the opposite ends of the first mentioned element and with an extension portion beyond one shoulder 'for attaching it to the rim.

ELBERT L. POTTER. ELMER D. SWENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following referenlces are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTS Number Name Date 1,924,970 Ash Aug. 29, 1933 2,133,454 Hunt Oct. 18, 1938 'Uber Aug. 25, 1942 

